1.03 crore new workers registered for ESIC after reforms: Labour Ministry

The Union Labour Ministry said in New Delhi on Friday (January 16, 2026) that the Scheme to Promote Registration of Employers/Employees (SPREE) and other reforms in the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) and Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) has extended the social security net to more than one crore workers .

Operational from July, 2025, the SPREE scheme offers a one-time opportunity for employers and employees who may have been inadvertently left out of the ESI scheme to register without concern for retrospective coverage or punitive action. “Until January 11, 2026, 1.17 lakh new employers and 1.03 crore new employees have registered under the scheme in the ESIC. The SPREE is operational for the period from July 1, 2025, to January 31, 2026,” a Ministry official told reporters.

The official added that owing to a series of reforms in the EPFO, a member can withdraw up to 75% of the balance, all of which became possible under simplified and liberalised provisions. “The balance of 25% will help in building a better retirement corpus for members,” he said, adding that 47.48% of the total claims and 72.09% of the advance claims have been settled in auto mode after simplifying the processes.